Try a Bowl of Savory Yogurt

Here are 10 savory yogurt recipe ideas. Begin with a cup of plain low-fat yogurt. After that, the sky’s the limit. From avocado chunks to diced cucumber.

My introduction to yogurt was the kind in the typical little plastic cup with jam on the bottom that you stir in. Eventually, I began adding fresh fruit to plain yogurt, which turned out being mostly fruit with very little yogurt. When I started following the Zone Diet, I ditched the fruit altogether in favor of a little almond butter for balance. This was definitely the ultimate yogurt experience, or so I thought, refreshing and creamy with just a hint of nutty texture.What could be better? Little did I know what I was missing until I recently tried a bowl of savory yogurt.

It’s easy, no recipe needed. Begin with 1/2 to 1 cup of plain low-fat yogurt. Regular or Greek, either type is fine. Always include a drizzle of olive oil or another healthy fat like nuts or avocado. After that, the sky’s the limit. Roasted red pepper, a small spoonful of three-bean salad, feta, jalapeños, avocado, olives, roasted veggies, spice blends like za’atar or curry, a small dab of hummus, fresh-sliced cucumber, capers, sautéed onions and garlic, torn herbs, chives, orange or lemon zest, and chopped nuts are all great choices for toppings. Remember, the yogurt is the star of the show here. Keep the toppings to small condiment sizes.

Follow these guidelines to create your own savory yogurt bowl.

1. Include at least one topping that packs a flavor punch.
2. Add texture with nuts or with small amounts of crumbled low-fat cheese.
3. Finish with a little sea salt, and you can’t go wrong.

Play it safe with your favorites or be adventurous and spice it up with that new exotic veggie or condiment you’ve been wanting to try. Following are some ideas to add to your own savory yogurt.

Savory Yogurt ideas:

• Halved cherry tomatoes, crumbled Parmesan, torn basil, a touch of balsamic vinegar, olive oil, sea salt, pepper
• Pesto, diced tomato
• Diced tomato, za’atar, mint, olive oil
• Sliced kalamata olives, diced tomato, chopped bell pepper, chopped cucumber, basil chiffonade (roll basil leaves sideways and thinly slice horizontally), crumbled feta, olive oil, sea salt
• Diced cucumber, diced avocado, chopped macadamia nuts, fresh dill, lemon zest, olive oil, fresh parsley
• Shredded raw beet, chopped orange segment, olive oil, fresh dill
• Hummus, chopped bell peppers, chopped cucumber, lemon juice, chopped kalamata olives, chopped almonds, mint
• Thinly sliced radishes (any variety, from mild to spicy), olive oil, sea salt, pepper
• Grated cucumber, fresh mint, a few chickpeas, walnuts, salt, pepper
• Roasted red and yellow pepper, small spoonful of three-bean salad, capers, chives, chopped macadamia nuts, olive oil, sea salt, pepper
• Avocado chunks, lemon juice or zest, basil leaves, olive oil, sea salt, freshly ground pepper

Enjoy!